Tantalize your taste buds, get lost in a maze, enjoy the deep sound of the guitarrón and witness the Matachines dancers’ colorful costumes at New Mexico State University. You may experience all of these things as part of Latino Week on campus in March.
Following is list of Latino Week events:
Thursday, March 2 (4 to 9 p.m.)
Salsa Tasting Festival
Corbett Center Student Union Outdoor Stage
Hosted by MAES, Latinos in Science and Engineering
Tuesday, March 7 (5 p.m.)
La Academia Dolores Huerta Ballet Folklorico and Mariachi
Corbett Center Outdoor Stage
Hosted by CAMP, College Assistance Migrant Program
Tuesday, March 7 (6 p.m.)
Movie Night: Guillermo del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth”
Corbett Center Auditorium
Hosted by SHPE, Society of Professional Engineers
Thursday, March 9 (7 p.m.)
Keynote Speaker Marisel Herrera
Corbett Center Auditorium
Hosted by CAMP
Friday, March 10 (12 p.m.)
Matachines Dancers
Corbett Center Outdoor Stage
Hosted by CAMP
All events are free.
Esai Lopez, NMSU Hispanic Council President, said Latino Week provides an opportunity for the entire university to learn special things about the Hispanic culture.
“Latino Week features several events so that all NMSU students may participate in and learn about Hispanic culture and tradition,” Lopez said. “It’s also an opportunity for everyone to learn about the different student organizations on campus that are hosting the event.”
Lopez, who’s a junior aerospace engineering major, said the variety of events will give all students the chance to learn about Hispanic music, dance, theater, food, arts and more.
The Salsa Tasting Festival will feature salsas from various local Mexican restaurants. Attendees will have the opportunity to sample the salsas and vote for their favorite. The top two winners will receive the Student’s Choice Award and the Runner-Up Award. The event will also include dancing to the sounds of DJ Jonix and an interactive carnival with a mechanical bull ride and an inflatable bounce house for adults.
Directed by Guillermo del Toro, “Pan’s Labyrinth” will take viewers through twists and turns as a young girl journeys through a maze filled with dangerous obstacles. The movie is not appropriate for viewers under age 17. Refreshments will be served.
Marisel Herrera is the keynote speaker for Latino Week. She’s a life coach, educator and author who has spent over 25 years educating and motivating youth, college students and emerging professionals. Her passionate belief in the power of education to transform lives has led her to extensive volunteerism and motivational speaking on the local and national levels.
Herrera is the chief executive officer and owner of MariselSpeaks, which offers motivational speaking and coaching services. Whether speaking to an individual student or 500 audience members, her message is fueled by the lessons she learned throughout her first-generation Latina journey from the housing projects of New York City to the halls of academia. She is the author of “Lean Into Grace: Power Up for A Fierce & Fearless Life,” a coaching book for women, and “Puerto Rican Goldilocks: A Lyrical Journey Through El Barrio,” a poignant memoir which documents her early memories through poetry and prose.
Herrera was recently recognized by the National Resource Center with the “Outstanding First-Year Student Advocate” award. She was selected for the National Hispana Leadership Institute in 2005, and was recognized by the Phoenix Business Journal with the “Top 40 Under 40” leadership award in 2009. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work from Marist College and a master’s of education in higher and adult education from Arizona State University. She’s received training from the prestigious Harvard University JFK School of Government and Center for Creative Leadership.
Herrera serves as the founding director of the Arizona State University First-Year Success Center, where she created and leads a holistic, strengths-based coaching program serving over 10,000 university students annually. For more information about Herrera, visit www.MariselSpeaks.com.
Latino Week events are sponsored by Associated Students of NMSU and student organizations from Hispanic Council. Hispanic Council is a hub group of multiple Hispanic student organizations that are under the supervision of Chicano Programs.
For more information, please call Chicano Programs at 575-646-4206.
Information from NMSU